2-deoxyglucose enhances epileptic tolerance evoked by transient incomplete brain ischemia in mice

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of chronic treatment with a non-metabolisable glucose analogue, 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) at a 150 mg/kg dose on long-term epileptic tolerance (ET) evoked by 30 min bilateral carotid artery clamping (BCCA) in mice. The effects of protein synthesis inhibition with cycloheximide (CHX), given in three daily doses of 2.5 mg/kg starting either 1 day before (peri-insult regimen) or 1 day after the priming insult (post-insult regimen), on ET development was also studied. Seizures were induced 14 days after BCCA with 3.5 mg/kg of bicuculline; this dose (CD97) evokes convulsions in 97% of normal untreated mice. BCCA resulted in decreased mortality, prolonged latency to the onset of generalised convulsions and decreased overall seizure score. CHX given in the post-insult regimen did not influence, while the peri-insult regimen abolished, all signs of BCCA-evoked ET. 2-DG treatment of sham-operated animals resulted in a moderate but significant decrease in mortality rate and a tendency toward a lower seizure score. BCCA combined with 2-DG treatment resulted in a marked decrease in mortality rate, as well as reduction in all indicators of seizure susceptibility. CHX abolished the antiepileptic effects of BCCA alone, as well as BCCA combined with 2-DG, while it did not influence the 2-DG-related decrease in mortality. We conclude that the development of BCCA-induced epileptic tolerance, as well as unmasking antiepileptic effects of 2-DG by BCCA, is dependent on protein synthesis.